de value

I am truly sorry Shelfers, for our lack of activity and posting. I could blame it on life issues getting in the way (we don't get paid for this, after all, so we do have to put food on the table)- but that really isn't the case this week. This was more a case of frustration. First of all, let me announce that the weekly media roundup will be forthcoming a little late this week- either tomorrow or Friday- so please stay tuned...

Do you remember our post from a few weeks back... where we address the illegal immigration issue? If not I will sit and wait a moment as you refresh yourself.
Back? Good. Now, let me just say that the past week has been one of complete and utter frustration. I have sat here many times, wanting to rant and vent, but ultimately chose not to do so. Partly because I was somewhat speechless, having had my reason, sanity, education, and sense of right and wrong assaulted on a daily basis. My frequent thought was "What the hell is going on out there?" I refrained from a "Our Country/World is going to hell in a handbasket" post, because I felt as if I was being an old fogey (no mean feat for a 35 yr old) and a reactionary. "Give it some time, think things through," I told myself. We try to do somethings in a light-hearted vein at The Shelf. We like to discuss movies and books and things going on in popculture. We even rant every now and again on current events and issues. I wanted to try to keep it in the regular vein- there were so many other places where I could find the frustrating items. But just to let you in on some of the things that were getting my goat, here is a list of a few:

1. Our language is being hijacked and devalued. Apparently we can't talk about "illegals"- the word is just ignored. Even though they have chosen to come here illegally, in which they have no rights or claims within our government, (as opposed to those who worked their butts off to get here legally) it is now "incorrect" to refer to them as criminal even though that is the very definition of what illegals are. We have to speak in politcspeak where meanings and usage is changed to suit the whims and purposes of those cultural and political elites, as well as the rabble and people who follow them lockstep.
2. Our law is being subverted and devalued. It is one thing to disagree with our President and other leaders, and to say the need to be voted out of office. It is entirely another to say they should be executed, beheaded, overthrown- and that our laws should be ignored and overthrown. I have even seen several signs and quotes wherein people have stated the constitution amounts to tissue paper. These people are dangerous, although the have the freedom to speak their mind. However, they do not have freedom from consequence from their actions and subversions. Write it down, say it loud- fine, I get to disagree with you as well. However, try to kill someone, break the law, or incite another to do so- bring the hammer down. HARD. And guess what- to all you politicians who are jumping on this bandwagon, because you think you'll get votes- as far as I am concerned when you propose to support and sympathize with what is tantamount to an open declaration to unsecure our borders and our country, and subversion of our laws- you are just an opportunistic, treasonous, power mad, political hack who needs to be voted out of office- or thrown out. If you think you need votes now, just keep it up. You don't even realize that the votes you need are from people who can legally vote. And the backlash is just beginning.
3. Our freedoms and way of life are being devalued. All of the freakshow groups were out in full force taking advantage of these so called "peaceful" rallies. The communist groups, enviros, urban terrorists, etc. were out with their signs. Capitalism and our constitution are their enemies. Allow me to say a truism about socialism and communism at the risk of sounding like a cold war warrior: Communism and socialism (as well as totalitarianism and fascism) are built on a web of falsehoods and deceit. It is a system built upon the false premise that the citizens (or workers, or plebs or whatever the catchword is today) will own the means and the state acts in the name of them- therefore the few and the rich will not squander or be able to gain at their expense. The reality is- once the "state" assumes power - it is run by the FEW- and the freedoms that the "people" gave up for a crust of bread dry up and are outlawed, in the name of protecting the "people". The few still rule. Although they do these things in the name of the "poor" and the "oppressed" it is very clear that those are the ones who suffer the most under these regimes. It is rhetoric for saying "We know what is good for you. You don't." They cannot trust the people with anything; especially the means to produce and progress on their own. It is how all the "greats" started. Who were the greats? Well, Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Pol Pot- just to name a few. And there are several today who walking the same path, and yet we ignore them- Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I'm sorry if you think I'm harsh, but I truly believe that open and wanton advocation of the destruction of a people and the pushing for all resources and economics to be run by and owned by the state a little bit harsher.

Well Shelfers, I gave it some time. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought about where things would be when my children would be 35 and thinking of their own kids. I actually began to wonder if our country and our Constitution would be able to survive the next 20 years. Heck, would it survive the next 10 years. Surely it would, I thought. It has survived much over the past 200 plus years. It has been able to weather attacks and debates and brought justice and freedom to others- even those who didn't enjoy those freedom when it was originated. It was able to continue and many people have made it apply to themselves. Those things are true- because of the value that the people have placed on the freedoms protected therein. The love and value of the Constitution and what it represents was what allowed people to defend and honor it, and seek to make those freedoms a reality for themselves.

Now I think that not only our Constitution, but the way of life in America is under assault from many foes. You may think that I am truly old guard- but it is impossible to deny that socialism, communism, totalitarianism and fascism have reared their ugly heads again, even more so than in recent history. Perhaps even has far back as to the 1930s. You will shake your head and call me a fool, or paranoid- someone might even say that I am wrong to use "isms" and to label those terms as something bad. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
It is difficult for me, as a student, writer, and teacher of history to survey the world and its events and not think about similar paths and choices that were made prior to World War II. Or made during the declining years of the Roman Empire- or during the conquests in the name of Islam in Africa in the intervening centuries between the Romans and the Colonialists. The list goes on. I have had a respected History Professor who once told me, "It is not our job to 'learn from History' - and the old adage 'Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it' is just that, an old adage. History does not repeat itself."

I still respect that man, and learned a great deal from him. One thing that I learned early on was that he could also be wrong. He was/is wrong about history. While people and circumstances necessarily prevent history from exactly repeating itself, it doesn't mean that the human race will not make the same mistakes. When we devalue things like history, it makes a generation of ignorant people. Ignorant of past mistakes, or past paths that proved to be catastrophic. As students of history which we all should be) it isn't necessarily our job to learn from history as much as it is our obligation. For what other purpose should it be written or taught? A nation that doesn't know it's history is like an amnesiac- lost, scared, and alone, without anything to build on.

What do we do? We have to stop devaluing our history and our way of life. We may not have been always correct in the past, and we have our faults now, but our country is still the defender and home of Freedom - Freedoms that burn in the hearts of many people. If you have grandparents who immigrated to this country to become citizens, ask them about it. Or ask someone who fought to defend it... they know. We need to teach history, warts and all, with the goal to learn from it. We must not forget the past. We need to retake our culture and our language, and not let them be subverted by those who wish us harm. The dominant language in the US is English. You want to come here and live- learn it. You would ask me to do the same in your country. Lastly, we have got to believe in ourselves and in what makes our country great again. We cannot, we must not develop this national self-loathing that cultural elites want us to have. We don't have to be blind to our faults, but we also must not be defeated by them as well. We can stand up, be proud, make changes and amends where needed, and go forward. If not, we will not just be stagnant, we will eventually go backwards.

I implore you to take a look around the web, the newspaper, and the news to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Take a visit to our friends Maggie's Farm and Gateway Pundit and you'll get a really clear idea of some of the things out there. What I am driving at is a larger picture- pull back from the daily assault of the newsmedia stories and what they want you to hear and believe- and try to see the larger picture of things that are happening. We need to stop pretending these things aren't happening, or worse- pretending that they aren't what they really are. It isn't wrong to declare that these things are wrong, and to stand up for our constitution and our safety and freedoms. It isn't wrong to want these freedoms to others around the world, and to let them run their own lives instead of having the few run it for them. It isn't wrong to secure our borders and to defend our way of life. It isn't. What is wrong- is to sit and watch and do nothing. It's not only wrong- it's fatal.

Further food for thought:
Freedom is precious. These may be difficult to read- but you need to... to remember what we are up against.
Next- let's just take a breather and read some words of wisdom from VDH himself.
Sorry for today's rant Shelfers- it needed to be said. I suspect if we talk about it more- we will see more education and words written about them. Remember The Shelf motto- Think For Yourself. I am optimistic that freedom can prevail- we just have to remember to cherish it and remember it's value.








I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!